Hedgehogs and English Robins

Peter Caldwell in his work, “Pen and Ink Sketching“, states, “learning to leave out as much detail as possible, without depriving the picture too much, is to be applauded. Rather than draw every little detail which would decidedly overdo rather than enhance the drawing. It is better to suggest the appropriate gesture: a few bricks in a wall, a mere indication of slates on a roof and only the minimum amount of leaves on the tree or foliage. The imagination is far more capable of filling in the remaining spaces and indeed needs to exercise itself in this way, thereby giving the artist and the viewer far greater satisfaction. The “golden rule” then, is simply to indicate in the white spaces in the drawing what these spaces represent or contain overall. Where then does this ‘suggestion’ go in order to gain the maximum effect? Concentrate the suggested textures around the edges of the object. This helps focus the eye more on the shape of the object rather than the centre of it – the shape is more interesting than the middle.”

I am attempting to practice this “suggestion” drawing with the hedgehog quills.